Net Neutrality – Our Fight for Internet Freedom

Net Neutrality:

What is it, and why does it matter?

Net neutrality is the principle that fundamentally establishes Internet as a utility, and protects consumers from ISPs (Internet Service Providers).

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent government agency tasked with regulating the radio, television, and phone industries.

AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, and Charter (owned by Time Warner) dominate these industries and are the sole mainstream providers of mobile and broadband Internet service in America.

Who’s Involved?

The Trump-Era FCC is led by Ajit Pai, a former Verizon executive, and a slew of other former telecoms executives. They have proposed legislation that would roll back net neutrality and give companies that already engage in monopolistic competition over an unreasonable amount of influence over our lives.

ISPs will have the power to regulate, scrutinize, and mine your flow of data. They will charge extra fees for Internet “fast lanes” to rival media content. These constraints on Internet service are typical of developing economies and totalitarian countries where a select few control the lives of the masses.

Your Impact is Necessary

Removing net neutrality will negatively affect our economy by consolidating immense power to companies with low accountability track records. Improving the overall capacity of our networks at the expense of the taxpayer and underprivileged consumers will constrict our economic growth and freedom of choice. Market competition and equal access to the Internet encourages a breathtaking pace of innovation. This will inhibit the freedom of speech that we as individuals are allowed on the internet – the freedom that excels our culture, technology, and society forward. We would be doing our history wrong to forfeit so much power to a few people.

Now that you understand why net neutrality is something worth fighting for, you might be unsure of how you can get involved. It is simple. Our first recommendation is to talk about net neutrality and introduce the concept to friends and family who may be unaware. Spread the awareness of the subject. Mainstream news outlets rarely cover this topic due to their affiliation with ISPs, so word of mouth is extremely important. Furthermore, A direct action many citizens are taking is to contact their representatives’ office and express their opinion on the matter. The FCC will take a vote on December 14th, and it may or may not be conclusive. Be heard now, and join the fight for our internet freedom.

On December 14th, 2017 the FCC voted to repeal Net Neutrality. However, people are still fighting this ruling on the local and national level. Do not forfeit your rights! If your local government is writing their own rules, get behind them. Pushing back against big telecom has to start at the local level if Congress is not willing to take action.

TL;DR

The government provides multi-billion dollar subsidies to these corporations and they want more. They will be able to enact legal censorship. Fight for your right for web freedom.